One-Half Princess
by PureWaterLily
Summary: A glitch in the game splits Feng Lan into two separate avatars: the sweet, sly XiaoXiao and the ruthless, lady-killer Prince. Sometimes, you can't help but fall in love with yourself. Prince/Xiao Lan.
1. The Birth of an Anomaly

**A/N** : Selfcest. Because I can, hohoho!

* * *

Year 2100 AD. Technological advancements have exceeded all human expectations.

Sleep-based machines revolutionize the gaming concept, as 80% of the world population now assumes second identities in virtual reality.

Everywhere, holographic billboards showcase a tunneling landscape of evergreen and frozen mountains, a translucent fairy dipping past.

 _Dear players of The World and Life,_ the creature announces, fluttering her wings. _Today is the birth of a new era. An era in which we will be taking MMO to the next level. An era with 99 percent realism._

 _Today, we introduce you to Second Life_.

.

 **Chapter 1: The Birth of an Anomaly**

"Hey, bro, check this out," says a level 115 mage, presenting her wand.

"What!" Her twin brother lifts his helmet for a better look at the weapon. "The Blue River Goddess? You win the lottery?"

She grins. "My husband gave it to me!"

"Of course," he grumbles. "Must be nice being a girl. Just look cute and hordes of guys come to give you equipment. You never need to work for it on your own."

"Hey!" With an angry wave, she fires a bolt of ice, slicing his HP by half. Only retrospectively does she remember that despite pain being reduced 20% in-game, the spell still hurts. She winces as her brother collapses in a clash of metal, scavenging for a health potion.

"Fuck! That hurts, bitch!"

Her eye twitches. Who's he calling a bitch? The tip of her wand rises.

As the siblings fight, exchanging blasts and blows, a tail wags in the distance.

"You've got no sense of shame, sis!" her brother yells, swiping his sword. "Admit it, all you do is sit in the corner. Guys do all the work while you reap all the goods!"

"Well, it's not my fault if boys want to give me stuff!" she snaps, dealing another blizzard attack.

"You-!"

Her eyes widen when a fire gorilla slams into the ground, punching her brother into the afterlife. Before she knows it, a blast of fire is flashing before her. Pain courses through her nerves.

The world blackens.

"Ugh." Feng Xiao Lan throws the game helmet off in favor of heaving in the toilet.

In the mirror is a reflection of her brother, Feng Yang Ming. He pulls his hair in disbelief. "You died too? How! Why didn't you teleport when the boss was after me!"

"I didn't get a chance to react." She dropped her shoulders in misery. Death in The World meant a full drop back down to level one. "Sorry. It's my bad for getting you killed..."

"Whatever," Yang Ming grumbles. "It doesn't matter anymore." He throws his game cartridge in the trash. "Second Life's coming out anyway."

Xiao Lan raises an eyebrow. "Second Life?"

"Haven't you seen the ads? It's the latest game. 99% realism!"

Her expression flickers from skepticism to intrigue to apprehension. "Wait, does that mean you're quitting The World?"

"Well, yeah. Everyone will be switching. Once Second Life hits, both The World and Life will end up shutting down anyway."

"Huh." Xiao Lan follows her brother out the bathroom. "Guess I'll play that too then."

Wait. She has already made a promise to go training with her in-game husband later tonight. Oh well. She'll ping him a notice that she's quitting. They were a great team while it lasted though.

.

Xiao Lan punches in the game cartridge, mumbling to herself in the bedroom. Stupid bro, she'll show him. This time, she will out-level him, fair and square.

A holographic glow appears, before the world falls to black.

Her feet lands on a tiled floor, as a geared cyber-beauty hovers before her, seated inside an orb chair. The cyber girl smiles through her helmet. "Hello, welcome to Second Life."

Back in reality, Yang Ming feels his eye twitch at the sight of his twin sister sprawled in bed, helmet already in place. Looks like someone used his bathroom trip to gain an unfair head start.

Fuming, he is about to enter the game too when the overhead lights dim, then flicker. What the-

However, the power stabilizes. The lights return to full power, so he shrugs it off and clasps on his own gamer's helmet.

In the virtual world, the cyber girl concludes her introduction with, "Please begin by creating your avatar."

Xiao Lan glances at the variety of races collected before her. She thinks back to her brother's words and pouts. So what if most girls play support roles? She could fight on the front lines too if she wanted. Yeah! She _will_.

"Can I look at the human and beast archetypes?" From her experience, they are the most common tanks, and popular choices amongst boys.

"Certainly."

Hovering in front is a warrior girl with identical looks as her real life self. As for the beast...

"Eugh." She cringes at her hairy alter-ego and shoots that possibility down.

Her brother is never going to take her seriously posing as a human girl though. He'll claim she leveled through a guy's help again.

"What if you made me a boy?" she inquires. Not hairy or ugly, but all masculine and heroic and stuff.

The cyber girl tilts her head. "You are the second person today to have this odd request. Unfortunately, your character will have the same gender as your real life persona. It is to keep in-line with the realism of this game."

Xiao Lan hangs her head. With that much realism, what's the point of virtual reality?

When her settings are confirmed, Xiao Lan, now assuming her online alias of XiaoXiao, finds herself standing in a bustling medieval style town. Newbies scatter around, starting quests, collecting goods, or shouting for their real life friends. She catches her reflection in a window and notes the plain tunic, leather skirt, and boots. A single buckle and sack rest at her waist. Inside the sack is a wooden dagger. She shuffles through her clothing. No coins.

Guess she'll have to do this the hard way.

With a hop, she flips over the fence guarding the newbie village. The hills beyond has snail-like creatures dotting the landscape. When one squirms close to her, she steadies her dagger.

The shell looks solid, she observes. There's no way this chunk of wood is going to crack it. The monster snail looks passive now, but hitting it might also trigger a counter-attack. The thought of the slimy creature on her skin makes her shake in disgust. Aw gross.

But just then, her brother enters her mind. She could hear his laugh, mocking her for running away from a level one snail.

She growled. Well, she'll show him!

"Here goes nothing!"

Holding her breath, she raises her dagger, and with as much force as she could muster, stabs the shell full center.

 _Conk_.

The tip of her dagger meets the shell. _Conk, conk, conk_. Nope, nothing.

As she thought, wooden dagger is wooden. Unfortunately, the hit has indeed triggered a counter. The snail now hisses, revealing a circle of teeth.

Oh shit.

Dagger forgotten, she bolts. Once a few meters away, she slows and looks back. Far behind, the snail is furiously wiggling forward, inch by inch.

She snorts. Thank gods that the monsters here are damn slow motherfu-

Her face is pelted by a splash of goo.

 **Attack successful. XiaoXiao HP -5 .**

Oh gods, it _stings_.

Half-blind, she hurries to wipe the goo off her face, only to feel another slobber pelt her shoulder. The snail spits out a third round of poisonous goo.

Delirious, she hears the system announce her health drop, her legs tripping to get away. This is bad, this is really bad! She can't get out of missile range in time.

 **Swinging Sword Attack!**

There is a shattering explosion, before strong arms support her body.

"Hey, you okay?"

She blinks away the tears blurring her vision. Her eyes widen. Whoa, hottie alert!

The player digs through his sack before presenting a jar. "Here, this will help."

Nodding, she accepts his offer and chugs down the potion. The acidic goo evaporates from her skin and clothes. She breathes in relief when the system announces her return to full health.

Once she is out of the arms of the stranger, she rubs her neck, laughing meekly. "Thank you, ah..."

"Oh, BrokenSword's the name," the player introduces, extending his hand. "And you?"

"Feng Xiao Xiao. XiaoXiao's fine."

"Cute name."

Her heart flips when an embarrassed smile breaks through his features. Oh _dang_ , he's flirting with her!

Her eyes scan him over. Not bad-looking, sharp and angular, with broad shoulders accentuated by bare biceps. The sword on his back is impressive too. The game could not have gone on for more than half an hour, yet he is already far ahead the other newbies.

She giggles. "Cool name yourself."

The player looks pleasantly surprised.

Now, XiaoXiao does not think herself as particularly narcissistic, but her family do carry the beauty genes. Her brother, though a bag of douche, is undeniably attractive, with a tall figure and prominent cheekbones. She herself can be easy on the eyes, especially when she turns up the charm.

"Do you want to team up maybe?" she says with a smile. "I don't know much yet, but I'd like to return your favor sometime."

When he nods, she inwardly grins. _Score_!

There is the sound of a system ping in her ears. **XiaoXiao has learned a new ability – Sweet Talk. Charisma +5%.**

She collapses.

BrokenSword turns to be as generous as her husband from The World. She soon finds herself carrying a stack of new armor, weapons, and potions. He is serious about gameplay too, sharing all of the tricks he has uncovered thus far, everything from good grinding spots to hidden items.

"The snail just got lucky with you," he says on their stroll through town. "Eyes are weak spots. You could have easily handled it had it not harmed you there."

He's sweet too, she internally squeals, jumping at her good luck. Somewhere in the back of her mind is her brother's smug grin, but she pushes the image away. Okay, okay, so she does take advantage of her sweet, helpless look to get ahead, but between getting showered by disgusting goo and being in the arms of a hottie, yeah, she'll take the hottie.

He trains her to handle future snails with ease. Don't hit the shell, but the eyes. Alternatively, whack it sideways so it cannot crawl, then stab the belly. Afterward, they move on the the red-tailed minks, in which ten furs allows her to complete the quest for a class change.

"If you don't like melee, you could be a mage or priest," BrokenSword explains helpfully.

XiaoXiao nods, pretending to be awestruck. Internally, she rolls her eyes. No shit. You'll be hard-pressed to find a teenager who's never played MMO before, and Second Life has been conventional so far in terms of race and class.

"What if I want to be like you?" she says.

"Me?"

"Yeah, I want to fight beside BrokenSword-gēgē! I still have to return your favor and save you like you did me!"

BrokenSword watches her with amusement. "In that case, we could be warriors together."

When XiaoXiao locks in the warrior class, she is presented a choice of three skills and one weapon. After much contemplation, she decides to never repeat the snail experience and maximize her defense and speed.

The Life Extension technique is tempting, but she figures with BrokenSword protecting her, she can forgo it. And if he fails, she would hate to endure more pain by not dying quickly enough. Instead, she opts for the Blazing Determination skill. Short duration, high mana, but enough power for an instant KO. The choice is similar to her former mage attributes.

As for a weapon, her gaze flickers across the four main categories for a human warrior: the staff, the spear, the knife, and the sword.

Without thought, her hand touches the first holographic image. The image reconfigures into an ascension of words and calligraphic figurines demonstrating various battle poses.

Staff, the Grandfather of Weapons. To sweep. The style of this archetype is passive and distributed. Subcategories include the gùn, the canne d'arme, the bō, the scepter...

Next.

Spear, the King of Weapons. To pierce. The style of this archetype is aggressive and concentrated. Subcategories include the qīang, the javelin, the pike, the trident...

Next.

Knife, the General of Weapons. To slice. The style of this archetype is aggressive and distributed. Subcategories include the dāo, the cutlass, the katana, the scimitar...

Next.

Sword, the Gentleman of Weapons. To protect. The style of this archetype is passive and concentrated. Subcategories include the jiàn, the espada, the spadroon, the épée...

XiaoXiao feels her head spinning. "You know what, I'll take my chances and go random."

"Random?" the NPC questions.

"No wait! Give me something pretty!" she demands, grabbing the good uncle by the shoulder. All weapons have advantages and disadvantages, to counterbalance one another and ensure fair gameplay. As such, to justify the superiority of one over another is splitting hairs. But there is no denying that some weapons are cooler-looking than others!

The NPC strokes his beard. "An odd request by an odd young lady. Unfortunately, only fate may dictate such outcomes, for it will be the weapon to choose the master, not the master to choose his weapon. Just as the Yangtze parts in East, the robin bird flies-"

Sensing another long, obscure ramble, she waves. "Yeah, rivers, birds, got it. Can I get my weapon?"

At the gate post, BrokenSword sees XiaoXiao dash up to him, pouch in hand.

"What weapon did you get?" he asks. He blinks at her cheerful "I don't know!" then watches her pull out a long item.

"Wah!" XiaoXiao turns her wrist, examining the elegant weave of white gold. She frees the sword from its scabbard. To their surprise, the blade is also bone white.

"It's so light and thin!" she says, giving the sword a whirl.

"I think that's a rapier," BrokenSword muses.

"Rapier?"

"It's a smallsword that evolved from the cut-and-thrust swords of the Bolognese schools of the Renaissance. It rose to popularity in the 16th and 17th century and remains a popular weapon of choice in many fencing tournaments. Think of it as the European equivalent of the jiàn."

This time, XiaoXiao does not have to fake her interest. "European? Is this English then?" She turns over the scabbard and reads the print in gold. _La Striscia._ She frowns. Maybe not.

While XiaoXiao primarily prides herself in her literature savvy, her foreign language abilities are also top tier, second only to the internationals. It might be one of the other romance languages, she thinks. She can look it up back in reality.

"Wait, so a smallsword, you say? Huh, that's perfect then!" she exclaims.

"I guess it does match to your name quite well," BrokenSword says, scratching his nose.

"That, and BrokenSword-gēgē carries a longsword! It means we're complementary!"

 **Attack successful, BrokenSword HP -3. Sweet Talk ability has reached level 2.**

XiaoXiao sticks out her tongue. Well, little bro, is it really considered cheating if it's a part of the game?

.

Xiao Lan looks up from her translator tablet. La Striscia. Italian for rapier. Well, it's official: the game designers have the creativity of a nit. Redundant names aside, at least _La Striscia_ sounds cool, being all foreign and stuff. Much better than naming a black knife, _Hēi Dāo_.

"Are the noodles ready yet?" Yang Ming grumbles from their kitchen table.

"Patience! It's a virtue!" Xiao Lan directs a knife at her brother, before uncapping the pot. She waves away the steam and smiles at the perfect strands of gold.

Between slurps of noodle, the siblings discuss their Second Life adventures thus far. As it turns out, they are both on the Central Continent, both human race, both 30% beautified, both warrior class. Xiao Lan collapses. No differentiation at all! Days like these, her identity crisis deepens.

"Huh, can't believe we missed each other," Xiao Lan says. "Have you gotten to the gate yet?"

"Psh, gate? I'm already on my way past the Northern caves."

"What! You got past the mink den? What level are you?"

"Fifteen," Yang Ming says with a wiggle of his eyebrow. "And you?"

She regrets giving him the pleasure of saying that. With a growl, she pokes her noodles with chopsticks. "Eleven." Or is it ten? "But I've been handling all the monster on my own!" she counters. Actually, no, that's not right either. BrokenSword has been doing all the heavy grinding for her. "And I would've gotten even further ahead had it not been for all the girls holding me back!" Girls? What girls?

What is she saying?

"Excuses, excuses," Yang Ming yawns. "Guess we'll know for sure in game. What's your alias?"

"Pri-!" Xiao Lan stops. Was she going to say _Prince_? Like, a prince on a white horse? At her brother's waiting look, she recomposes herself. "Ah, XiaoXiao."

"Again?"

"Well, what's _yours_?" she snaps.

At his silence, her lips pull into a smug grin. "Like you have any right to talk, Feng. Wu. Qing."

For the rest of the night, Xiao Lan finds herself playing retro games on her brother's PS13, examining the fighting techniques of street fighter Chun Li. In particular, she studies the wall-jump, the crouching light kick, the lightning kick, the slide kick, the palm strike, the ax kick, and of course, the signature spinning bird kick. Her eyes flicker across the screen, ingraining the movements into her memory, her muscles twitching in anticipation.

Licking her lips, she punches away at the controllers. Heh, let's see how those wolves fare against her now!

Her fingers pause. Wolves?

Are there wolves in Second Life?

* * *

 **Chinese 101:**

Gēgē = older brother. Chinese equivalent of "nii-san".

When BrokenSword says the rapier suits her name, he is referring to the fact that Xiǎo Xiǎo ("Little Little") obtained a xiǎo jiàn ("Little Sword").


	2. Legend, Begin!

**Chapter 2: Legend, Begin!**

.

"Let's go, BrokenSword-gēgē!" XiaoXiao grabs him by the wrist and pulls him down the road. "Let's go explore the caves!"

Like _hell_ she is going to let her brother get more ahead! She mentally stomps his image to the ground, fuming.

"Wow, you're certainly enthusiastic."

"Hehe."

At her giggle, BrokenSword can feel another stab at his HP. This girl is insanely cute. Even better, she seems genuinely interested in the game. His last wife in Life, although delightful, hated to leave the cities. She wanted to date and do romantic things, as opposed to level and explore the quests the game designers created for them. To find a cute girl who also likes adventure... he kowtows to the good fortune gods.

BrokenSword has no problems clearing the path to the caves, delivering critical slashes to all nearby monsters. XiaoXiao traces his twists and bends, the pull of every muscle, and suspects that he has external experience.

After some gentle prodding, he reveals that he is the captain of the tàijíjiàn club at his school and does kick boxing on the side. Her eyes widen in admiration. "Wah, so cool!"

He laughs and gives a humble nod. He thinks of also telling her that a lot of his moves are influenced by wuxia novels, but decides against it. No need to weird her out with his nerd side.

In the caves, XiaoXiao exaggerates her fear of the dark and latches onto his arm. Not that there's any need. She is sure he has already fallen for her.

She contemplates when to get him to propose and seal the deal. Best to wait until they reach Star City, she decides. The journey there can serve as a good test of his skills. With all the monster drops that they will collect along the way, he'll also be in a better financial position to buy her an expensive wedding gift, hohoho!

 **XiaoXiao has learned a new ability – Subtle Manipulation. Wisdom +2%.**

She collapses.

Her body stiffens at a distant clacking sound. She flips back, just as BrokenSword blocks the upcoming hack of a cleaver. Three skeletons have emerged from the dark. BrokenSword beheads the first, before dodging the combined swings of the other two.

"Here!" XiaoXiao throws him a health potion just as he rolls back.

He catches the bottle. "Thanks!"

"Ahead!"

A swipe across the ribs. Bones break and shatter. BrokenSword ducks the throw of a cleaver, then destroys the last skeleton.

Just as they are about to relax, there is an echo down the hall. They wait, and…

Shit.

An army of skeletons charges toward them, bloody cleavers waving in the air.

"Run!"

She scrambles for the cave exit. "What is this, a butchery?!"

A second army of Emaciated Footsoldiers drop before the cave entryway. She screams at the mummified skin and decaying yellow teeth. Too much realism, too much realism!

Cornered, she and BrokenSword stand back to back, watching the collection of monsters surround them. Her eyes scan the periphery before locking in on the gap between two Footsoldiers.

BrokenSword has made the same realization. "I'll stall them. You break through there and run."

Despite the situation, she cannot help but internally squeal at his declaration.

"But I'll be leaving you alone!"

"It's alright. I'll catch up from the rebirth point. Just wait for me."

At his smile, her heart melts into a puddle of goop. "Of course. I will wait forever!" she cries dramatically.

With that, she bolts. Later, sucker.

Investing her skill points on speed proves to be a smart decision, as she outmaneuvers the undead, whipping through with minimal injuries. The monsters do not chase her into the sunlight. Instead, they return to focusing on BrokenSword.

XiaoXiao is already in the far distance when a pillar of light shoots into the sky, the signal that a player has been sent to the afterlife. She bows her head in a moment of silence. His sacrifice will not be forgotten!

"Ah..." She winces at the wound on her arm. One of the cleavers has made a thick slice. Settling down by a log, she uncaps a health potion and chugs down its contents.

Healed, she contemplates her next course of action. Getting through the caves will be a challenge. Neither of them expected a concentration of monsters that high. Her teammate is also now down a level.

Since reaching the Northern caves will take BrokenSword at least half a day's worth of travel, she decides to train solo until they reunite. Her fingers reach for the handle of her sword and withdraws La Striscia.

Although aesthetically pleasing, her weapon is useless in terms of attack. The blade is too thin to make meaningful slashes, so she mostly uses it to stab the defenseless underbellies of snails. After an hour of preying on them, she feels restless and goes after an isolated Oddfoot Pup. She thrusts her sword forward, before pulling it out the belly.

 **Attack successful, Oddfoot Pup -30 HP.**

The Pup wobbles, dizzy from the assault. Eager to test out the moves she researched, she finishes with the swing of a roundhouse kick.

The monster explodes into a pile of bronze coins.

Just as she readies to pick up the coins, she hears a scream from the direction of the caves. Curious, she peeks into the entrance.

In the dark is someone attempting to run for the exit.

"Help!" cries a human girl, chased by two skeletons. "Help me, anyone!"

"Ah, BrokenSword-gēgē?" XiaoXiao PMs.

"What is it, XiaoXiao?"

"How long do you think it'll be until you arrive?"

"Going as fast as I can. Give me another hour?"

"Okay! Thanks!"

"AAH!" An Emancipated Footsoldier morphs out from the walls, blocking the poor girl's path.

Yeah, that player's a goner. XiaoXiao sighs. And this is why you never travel by yourself, but team up with an experienced player. Preferably a hottie.

The Footsoldier is ready to slash down on the human girl when metal pierces out of its gut.

"Pick on someone your own level," XiaoXiao growls, thrusting her sword in deeper.

The other player looks to her in surprise. "Thank you!"

"You can thank me after we kill these things!" XiaoXiao shouts back, blocking the cleaver of a skeleton. She spins back to avoid the Footsoldier again, only to find a sharp blow to her side. Her sword falls out of her grip, sliding out of reach.

On the floor, she gasps, the cleaver jutting from her body. Wincing, she looks at the skeleton that threw it, now charging forward with two more undead.

"H-help," XiaoXiao croaks. If the other player can draw them away for a moment, she can drink a potion...

The other player only watches from the corner, La Striscia in hand. Her lips break into an evil grin, before she darts towards the exit.

"Hey!" XiaoXiao shouts. She becomes buried under a mob of monsters, her hand disappearing into the darkness.

Once in the sunlight, Fairsky looks back and giggles. She can't believe that idiot actually fell for it!

Her gaze falls upon her latest treasure, a pretty silver sword. Forget monster drops, players have the best loot. For the past two days, Fairsky has been taking advantage of the unparalleled speed and camouflage of the thief class, luring mobs of monsters onto unsuspecting players. Once the players flew back to the rebirth point, she would collect the goods they left behind.

Her strategy had a hundred percent success rate until a few hours ago, when that male warrior sacrificed himself to protect his teammate. Such loyalty moved her heart, but also sent her chest swelling in a flare of jealousy.

Well, guess she'll just have to fix that too.

"XiaoXiao? Are you here?" BrokenSword surveys the landscape, troubled. No matter how he PMs, his teammate is not responding. The system tells him that she is online though.

His worry magnifies when there is no sign of her at their rendezvous point either, just a flock of Pups hopping around the fields.

"Excuse me, have you seen a girl pass by here?" he asks a solo player down the road.

The player turns to face him. Her armor reveals she is too light to be a tank, but too heavy to be a mage. "A girl?"

"My teammate. She's warrior class, carries a thin sword with her?"

The player looks up, tapping her chin. "Oh!" Her eyes flicker in recognition. "Black hair in a ponytail right?"

"That's her! Do you know where she went?"

"Yeah, that way," the player says, pointing to the caves.

BrokenSword freezes. XiaoXiao went into the caves by herself? What is she thinking, she'll get slaughtered!

"I think I saw her go in with a handsome man," the player says with a giggle. "They seemed like a very happy couple."

At those words, he pales, the sword in his grip faltering. XiaoXiao has been restless to get to Star City as soon as possible. He thinks back to her last messages. Did she tire of waiting and decide to leave with a more competent player? Is that why she is ignoring his PMs?

Fairsky's smile widens. In all technicality, she has not lied. She did see the two of them go in earlier.

While he is confused and vulnerable, she steps forth. "So, are you planning on going through the caves? Do you want to go in together? I have been trying to get through, but as you can see, I'm too weak to do it myself..." she says, twirling her hair.

"Ah..." BrokenSword looks at the girl, who waits expectantly.

" _ **Oh hell no**_."

A hand bursts from the ground, grabbing Fairsky by the ankle. She screams when a bloodied corpse digs out from under.

"Steal my sword, shame on me. Steal my man..." With a manic grin, XiaoXiao lifts a red cleaver. " _Shame on you_."

.

XiaoXiao slams down her fifth health potion.

"I can't believe you clung onto one HP..." BrokenSword mumbles, handing her another bottle.

Fairsky cannot believe it either. XiaoXiao shoots her a dagger look before sweetly accepting the bottle from BrokenSword. "Ahaha, sorry to make you worry, BrokenSword-gēgē. Silly me thought I saw someone who needed help in there."

And when that turned out to be false... well, let's just say XiaoXiao got a tad _pissed._ And went ham on those monster's boney asses. Sword or no sword, she had no problems hacking away at the skeletons with their own cleaver. It was surprisingly similar to chopping pork ribs, only without the meat. Her Blazing Determination even rose three levels, and she gained the Weapon Improvisation skill.

The only downside, her tirade costed her an entire supply of health potions, and she is left to repair her ruined image as an innocent, delicate girl. Internally, she pats her cheeks until her scowl is gone.

"Hello, I'm XiaoXiao! Sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

Fairsky warily eyes the girl and returns in equal sweetness, "Fairsky, nice to meet you."

"Oh right, Fairsky has been telling me how she can't pass the caves by herself," BrokenSword says. "Is it okay if she joins us? Given the number of skeletons there, a third member would be helpful."

XiaoXiao forces a giggle. "Of course I don't mind! It'd be great to have Fairsky-jiějiě join our team. She looks so _mature_ , I'm sure we will all benefit from her _experience_."

Fairsky forces a smile through clenched teeth. "Please, you flatter me far too much."

BrokenSword cluelessly switches his gaze between the two girls. "This is great. If everyone's in agreement, then let's move."

As the team proceeds through the caves, XiaoXiao makes a point to grab BrokenSword by the arm. She leans towards him, keeping herself intimate and the other girl at bay.

"Listen-"

XiaoXiao interrupts Fairsky's PM. "Don't think I haven't figured out your game."

"Excuse me?"

"I've been reading up on the game forum. Apparently, we're not the only players who's been victims of lured mobs. I wonder what would happen if I published the name of the thief responsible for all their deaths."

Fairsky pales.

XiaoXiao grins. "So, unless you want some pissed off players to corpse-camp you all the way back to level one, I suggest we come to an agreement."

Fairsky narrows her eyes, contemplating her options. "What do you want?"

"My sword."

Furtively, her fingers reach behind her back. The weight of La Striscia falls into her grip, all while she nods sweetly at her separate conversation with BrokenSword.

They reach the inner labyrinths.

BrokenSword heaves his sword over his shoulder. By his feet are a pile of coins left behind by a defeated skeleton. Their first time, too many monsters attacked. This time, there are hardly any.

"Huh, the caves shouldn't be this empty."

"Maybe a squadron passed right before us," Fairsky mutters. Her trap may have killed all the players trying to enter from one entrance, but the caves are far and outreaching. There may be entrances elsewhere.

Fairsky is correct in her deduction, as further down a team of elves is taking down the main boss of the caves, the Skeleton Overlord.

In the center is the tank, a big warrior with thick neck and arms. Closely behind is a mild, cultured priest, chanting healing spells from his book. An arrow pierces through the neck of the Overlord, courtesy of one lithe archer. Finally, the monster is obliterated in a flash of heavenly light, the mage of the team releasing a breath of relief.

The elven team notices the newcomers. The mage waves in greeting, and XiaoXiao's team takes that as invitation to approach.

"Hello there." The mage speaks with a musical tone, and her smile welcoming and kind.

Wah, how pretty! XiaoXiao thinks. The mage has the fairest of skin and equally fair hair. Elegant robes contour her bountiful breasts and thin waist. The rest of her team is not bad looking either, enough to make XiaoXiao and Fairsky wonder if they made a mistake not picking the elf race for themselves.

"Good work there," BrokenSword compliments them. "It was amazing watching your coordination."

The warrior on their team reacts positively, extending a hand. "Hey, Li'l Strong here."

"Snow White Rose," the mage says. "Call me Rose."

The priest and archer follow their example.

"For Healing Only, at your service," the priest says with a slight bow.

"Legolas," says the archer curtly.

After all the introductions, the two teams decide to join forces. Team Rose is relieved by the additional warriors taking some of the burden off Li'l Strong. Elves are not natural tanks, so they were struggling in melee. As for XiaoXiao's team, they have finished the last of their potions supply, so they appreciate all the heals and buffs they can get.

Their combined force proves to work immensely well. By the next hour, they are stepping past the cavern exit and into the sunlight. Everyone cheers.

The road before them is now much grander than those of the newbie villages. More parts of their maps unlock, as new cities and teleportation points reveal themselves. It is here that Fairsky makes the wise decision to part ways, headed off to her own adventures in Sun City.

Meanwhile, Team Rose has set their sights on Star City, the same destination as XiaoXiao and BrokenSword. At this, BrokenSword proposes they continue their journey together, of which Team Rose nods in consensus.

Only XiaoXiao is hesitant. Her eyes flicker to Rose, who, without even trying, has gathered male admiration left and right. Whatever she says, they agree. Wherever she goes, they follow. Unfortunately, this includes BrokenSword, who also has been steadily pulled into her allure.

At this rate, XiaoXiao can kiss her meal ticket goodbye!

Unfortunately, the advantages of teaming together are too great, and XiaoXiao cannot argue without sounding unreasonable or contrary. Which leaves her no choice but to agree, and to double her efforts in securing BrokenSword.

As she latches onto his arm, timing her giggles and quips, she cannot help but miss her old husband back in The World. Ah, so much less work, that one!

Her internal moping is interrupted by a screech. Shadows dance across the landscape. XiaoXiao catches sight of the monsters above, vulture-like birds with feathers are sharp as needles. There are a dozen above, circling them in ready of attack.

Not good. The team did not expect to encounter any more aggro monsters outside the cave, and while their health is good, their mana is exhausted.

Still, it is too late to flee. BrokenSword bravely stands his ground. Legolas withdraws the last of his arrows. A weakened Li'l Strong is forced to retreat with Rose and For Healing Only, all while XiaoXiao guards them in defensive.

The vultures dive down.

The fight is a gruesome one. A claw rips through BrokenSword's armor and tears him down the shoulder. Legolas becomes separated from the group, in desperate search for high ground. Wincing through feathers, XiaoXiao strikes her sword in the air, trying to keep the birds at bay.

When the last of For Healing Only's buffs dissipates, the battle appears to be a lost one. It would have been too, had the wind not changed last minute.

From a nearby cliffside comes the harmonious notes of a flute. Although pleasant to the group, the music sends the vultures in great disorder, crashing into the earth for easy killings. From atop a tree, Legolas strikes down the last vulture.

They manage to survive, and it is all thanks to the flute-player. XiaoXiao turns to send him gratitude and-

She stops.

He is the most handsome man XiaoXiao has ever seen. From the definition in his eyebrows to the sharpness of his chin, each of his features are in perfect proportions and harmony. His expression is one drenched in charisma, while a set of dynastic robes completes his image as a figure of wealth and nobility.

XiaoXiao cannot breathe. He… he-!

"Thanks! You really saved us with that assist back there," Li'l Strong tells the flute-player.

"Of course," replies the flute-player. "It is always the pleasure of Feng Wu Qing to come to people's aid. I only regret I could not have arrived sooner."

As soon as those regal words escape his lips, Rose breaks into a blush.

Feng Wu Qing relishes in the attention of such a beautiful woman. Unfortunately for him, his mood is ruined by the ridiculous, choking look from the other girl. He is wondering why she is not also smitten by his charm, when a closer look has him uncharacteristically leaping back.

"Sis?!"

"Hello little bro," XiaoXiao says in a strained voice.

Feng Wu Qing sweats but maintains his smile. Meanwhile, the others glance back and forth between the siblings. The longer they do, the more the relation becomes obvious. Both Feng Wu Qing and XiaoXiao share the same pretty features, the same charm and grace.

However, unknown to these people, only the exterior of these siblings is truly beautiful. The interior, on the other hand, is… debateable.

"BAHAHA, what's with that ridiculous getup!" XiaoXiao internally slaps her knee. "You look like you stepped out of a period drama, and a cheaply produced one at that!"

"Oh shut up, it was on sale!"

"It's like someone drew highlighter all over you."

"Aaah, the NPC vendor lied to me! He told me these robes would be a magnificent emperor gold. The only gold I saw were the coins I gave away for it..." Feng Wu Qing sends the teary emoticon. "Now I'm stuck grinding these annoying birds for more drops."

XiaoXiao snickers at his misfortune. Serves him right for all those nights of bragging at the dinner table. Her brother may still be a level higher, but they have become equal in everything else. Plus, in terms of wealth, XiaoXiao is way richer, hohoho!

Feng Wu Qing feels his eye twitch, watching XiaoXiao squirm against whom he can only presume is her next victim. Looks like his man-eating sister is back to her old habits.

And her skirt-chasing brother is back to his. XiaoXiao gives an exasperated eye roll, already knowing how this would end. Poor Rose, so smitten, if only she knew what kind of man her brother truly is.

… then again.

"Hey bro," XiaoXiao PMs.

"Yeah?"

"You like this mage here?"

"What are you scheming now?"

"Just want to be your wingwoman, that all. Afterall, what sister doesn't want her brother to be happy."

Feng Wu Qing deadpans. One glances from Rose to XiaoXiao to BrokenSword, and he instantly understands. "I'll keep her away from your hunky meal ticket, but only if I get twenty percent of the wedding gift."

"Ten."

"Deal."

Private conversation done, they gather on one side, both with delightful smiles.

"Oh wow, I'd never imagine I'd see my wonderful brother here," XiaoXiao says aloud. "Wu Qing, I must introduce you to everyone!"

"I am delighted to meet my sister's beloved friends. Thank you, everyone, for protecting my family's sweet angel."

Feng Wu Qing's cool, gentlemanly demeanor and XiaoXiao's sweet, demure act turns out to be a deadly combo, as the group falls weak with admiration for such a perfect family.

 **XiaoXiao and Feng Wu Qing have learned a new ability – Giving Face. Charisma +1%, Reputation +1%.**

Grinning, the siblings do a secret fist-bump. The Feng family may be fake, but they know how to fake with style.

.


	3. A Prince Worth Fighting For

**Chapter 3: A Prince Worth Fighting For**

.

When the group finally reaches Star City, XiaoXiao squeals in excitement. The place is breathtakingly, with elegant paved streets and a blend of gothic architecture. Above, the sky remains a permanent night with endless gleaming stars.

XiaoXiao grabs BrokenSword, and together, they go off to explore the city, gather information, and search for hidden quests. Well, that is what BrokenSword thinks they are doing. For XiaoXiao, this is her secret mission to scout out the most extravagant gifts the city has to offer, trying on all the necklaces and belts and magical tiaras.

Meanwhile, Feng Wu Qing joins Team Rose as an honorary member, helping them repair gear and restock supplies. They visit the local apothecary, as well as the nearby armory for better equipment. Feng Wu Qing and Rose have their own honeymoon period. She falls to pieces under his irresistible charm. He too is enjoying himself, to be in the constant gaze of such a beauty.

On their third day, everyone gathers by a lakeside restaurant. The place is chosen by XiaoXiao for its high reviews and grand atmosphere. As they enter, they are greeted by a waitress, who escorts them to their table on the second floor.

As XiaoXiao goes through the menu, she has a difficult time deciding what to order. She wants this, and that, and oh, wow, they're serving _what_? Everything looks delicious, so she nudges at BrokenSword to order all the dishes she could not.

When the food arrives, it does not disappoint her expectations. The meal ends with a boisterous fight for the check, of which Feng Wu Qing comes out the winner. Only XiaoXiao sees beyond his magnanimous facade; she secretly laughs when her brother must painfully depart with the rest of his savings. However, the act boosts his reputation by ten points, and everyone savors the last of their tea in satisfaction.

On their way down the stairs, the boys are caught up in conversation. "... Raging Dragon's Valley may be a little dangerous, but with the six of us and you, going there to train, it should pose no problem," BrokenSword explains.

"That's right, Wu Qing. Come with us!" Li'l Strong adds heartedly, throwing both arms back.

As they talk, XiaoXiao tries again for the waitress's attention. She wants another bag to hold her leftovers, but the waitress is too flustered and absent-minded to focus. Instead, the waitress repeatedly glances in a particular direction.

Confused, XiaoXiao follows her gaze to a table at the bottom of the stairs. There, she spots a female player talking to her table companion. The player is slightly older in appearance, with wild hair, long legs, and luscious breasts that threaten to burst out of her low cut armor. Her mannerisms gives the impression of the untamed, mischievous type. Her beauty has XiaoXiao immediately mesmerized.

Meanwhile, Rose continues to be mesmerized by her idiot brother. Spinning his flute, Feng Wu Qing declares to the group, "Since comrades BrokenSword and Li'l Strong have offered such a warm invitation, Feng Wu Qing cannot refuse and will join you on this quest. Let us work hard together from now on!"

The ultra-beauty that XiaoXiao is starting at stops talking. She stops, because her companion has stopped listening. Slowly, the player turns around. His eyes narrow at their group; more specifically, at XiaoXiao's loud older brother.

XiaoXiao blinks.

Until now, she has not noticed this male player. Afterall, he is dressed plainly, nothing more than a simple tunic and pants. Those clothes easily dismisses you as a generic NPC or newbie, a faceless nobody in the crowd. This is especially true in a big city like this one, where everyone fights for increasingly elaborate designs to stay cool and relevant. Dragon tattoos. Leather buckles. Flowing silk. Sapphire gems. It is all to signal your reputation and status.

Until now, XiaoXiao has not noticed him.

But once she has, she cannot stop noticing him. Just like the waitress. Just like the surrounding customers. Just like every player that has ever gotten a glimpse of him.

XiaoXiao feels her heart beating once, twice, before it joins her leftovers on the floor.

"XiaoXiao?" Rose picks up the dropped leftovers. She tilts her head questioningly at XiaoXiao's strange behavior, then follows her line of sight. She freezes.

Just then, the mysterious male player catches their gaze. A smile breaks free of his lips, resulting in a dazed sigh from both girls.

"So handsome…" they say, melted.

Although Feng Wu Qing is conversing with the guys, he speaks with full awareness of the Rose's attention. As such, he is equally aware when he has lost her attention, as he turns to see what could possibly be distracting her from his magnificent speech.

To his annoyance, she seems captivated by some fellow in the restaurant, a fellow that admittedly is good-looking, but only slightly and hardly on par with himself. Yet, Feng Wu Qing has lost Rose to him, as she sighs longingly once more.

Rose finds her next sigh caught in her chest when the mysterious player stands up. He approaches, maintaining eye contact with her specifically. No way, could it be that he-!

With a quirk of his lips, the player says, "It's been a while, Rose." To the others, he acknowledges with a nod. "Li'l Strong, Legolas, For Healing Only."

The conversation afterwards feels like a dream. It would appear the player, Prince, has worked alongside Team Rose before back in the elven villages, but a mask has prevented them from seeing his face until now.

For XiaoXiao, this is the moment the heavens have opened for her, singing hallelujah. Her prayers have been answered; not only has she been blessed with this gorgeous player's name, they are now under perfect circumstances to exchange contact information and build a friendship.

And by friendship, she means marriage.

Before XiaoXiao can leverage Team Rose's connection to this unparalleled hottie and break into their conversation, her brother beats her to it.

"Hello." Feng Wu Qing steps forward, his presence strong. "I am a friend of Team Rose, Feng Wu Qing." For just the right touch of drama, his flute stops spinning, as he tucks it away in one stroke.

Both XiaoXiao and Prince give an inward eye twitch, though XiaoXiao conceals her thoughts behind a sweet smile, and Prince behind a well-mannered "Hello."

Still, XiaoXiao is glad her brother is stepping up his game. He is blaring confidence, even going so far as to flash his cool, Chu Liu Xiang-styled smirk. That expression has been a secret weapon of his, shown to girls to make them fall in love, and shown to guys to challenge them.

It works with XiaoXiao's strategy, as she can twist his petty, competitive behavior into one of brotherly love. Her brother, being a noble gentleman, is simply protective of his precious sister. And so, XiaoXiao steps up for her own introduction. "Hi, I'm XiaoXiao, sister of Feng Wu Qing."

For the first time, Prince notices her. A strange emotion flickers across his face, as his gaze shifts up to Feng Wu Qing, then her again, his eyebrow quirked.

To XiaoXiao's disappointment, his interest in her only goes that far. He gives her nothing more than a dismissive nod before turning to Team Rose. Rose would have beamed at his attention, had Prince's travel companion not stepped up just then, lassoing his arm in hers.

"Oh right, everyone, this is Lolidragon."

The ultra-beauty known as Lolidragon is practically glowing. "Hey~"

By now, the amount of beauty in the restaurant is ridiculously saturated. Everyone is conflicted, not knowing where to put their admiration.

XiaoXiao wants to stare at Prince, but her inner lesbian cannot help but appreciate Lolidragon too. BrokenSword sees XiaoXiao as a perfect girlfriend, yet his eyes wander to the fair Rose. Rose flickers their gaze between the dashing Feng Wu Qing and the mysterious Prince. Feng Wu Qing is attracted to the demure Rose, but Lolidragon and her seductive figure is impossible to ignore.

Waah, when did we end up in a beauty pageant? XiaoXiao thinks, surrounded by all gorgeous people.

If indeed a contest of beauty, however, the winners are clear. Amongst the women, Lolidragon emerges as the victor. Her aura is simply too unforgettable, rich in character and downright erotic from the curve of her lips to her hips.

Amongst the men, Prince is incomparable, as all eyes fall back on him despite Feng Wu Qing's best efforts. XiaoXiao has always considered her brother the best looking guy on earth, but the Prince has looks that cannot be found on earth. He is ethereal.

XiaoXiao wonders what it must be like to touch perfection, to marry a son of heaven.

"If you really wanna know, ask her," Feng Wu Qing snorts, referring to Lolidragon.

XiaoXiao freezes. Her gaze flickers between the man of her desire and the woman in his arm.

Uh-oh. No, it's not possible that they're- "They're not-!"

"They totally are."

"They can't be-!"

"Give up, sis. He's obviously taken."

To settle their argument, Feng Wu Qing sighs dramatically aloud, "Friend Prince is blessed, to have a significant other as beautiful as Lolidragon. Seeing such a yuan-yang couple leaves me truly envious!"

To XiaoXiao's dismay, Prince does not deny her brother's outlandish claim. Instead, he gives a faint smile and a polite, "Please, you flatter us…"

You know what, that's fine! Couples break up all the time!

"Unless they're married," says Feng Wu Qing, destroyer of dreams. Aloud, "Here's hope your marriage is a harmonious one!"

Lolidragon laughs. "Oh thank you, my husband and I appreciate your kind words."

Game over. She said the H-word.

XiaoXiao kneels on the floor, hands outreached in despair. To finally meet a perfect man, only to learn he is taken for eternity. Worse, by an ultra-beauty that no mortal can compete with!

Is this how God intends to punish the non-believers, to send them angels they cannot ever have?!

Outwardly, XiaoXiao smiles as if she is not under the worst torture of her life, waving goodbye with the rest of her group.

Once on the streets, Feng Wu Qing tucks his hands inside his sleeves.

"Well, that was fun!" To see his usually unimpressed sister swoon over a guy is hilarious, but also oddly reassuring. For the longest time, their family thought XiaoXiao would end up marrying a fictional character, given how they would be the only men to ever meet her impossible standards. That a real person could do the same means there might be hope just yet!

"It's not over."

Feng Wu Qing leaps back. "Eh?"

XiaoXiao lifts her head, blaring with determination. "It's not over."

"Uh, did you forget the whole he's-married part...?"

XiaoXiao tucks a thumb under her chin. "What is marriage but an abstract concept."

Feng Wu Qing opens his mouth. "You are an awful person."

"What do you think of Lolidragon?"

"We are awful people," he says with a nod.

.

Back at the restaurant, Lolidragon gives Prince a concerned look. Even Meatbun can sense something is wrong, if his typically ravenous master loses appetite.

"My brother doesn't know he's with an imposter!" Prince moans, clutching his hair. "But I can't just tell him without blowing my cover too!"

"Does he know anything at all?"

"He has no idea I'm a tranny. At dinner, I made up a story about how I'm a human girl. He must have decided to reach out to the fake name I gave him, and it matched with a random player!"

"If you want your identity concealed, isn't that good?" Lolidragon says, raising an eyebrow. "Now he won't be suspicious if you keep refusing to contact him."

"Except I have no idea what that girl's motivations are."

Feng Wu Qing is good-looking and gives off a wealthy vibe, so some women may play along simply to get close to him. But there are also seriously malicious people out there, and he is too naive to be protected against them! His brother is totally the type to fall for scams, blow off all his money on useless items, or do reckless shit for the sake of impressing others!

Worse case scenario, Feng Wu Qing divulges private, real-life information to his "sister". Fortunately, only Prince has access to their family bank accounts, or else they may be in serious trouble!

Once again, Lolidragon comes to the rescue. Because she is a GM, she has access to information no one else has. She can do a background check on the imposter, to make sure Feng Wu Qing is safe.

Upon hearing that, Prince drops his shoulders. "Thanks, you're a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it!"

That issue taken care of, Prince finds his appetite returning. They munch down on their food. So good! he thinks, chewing heartily.

Afterwards, they leave for a stroll around the city to digest the huge meal they have just eaten. As they walk, they entertain the idea of forming a party. It would allow them to level up much faster and take on group quests from the Adventurer's Guild.

Decided, they go off to the Guild first thing next morning for recruitment. Lolidragon wipes the sweat from her brow, as she examines the sign they made: "Long term teammates wanted, range/support classes, levels thirty to thirty-five." Nodding at each other, they lug their sign towards one of the busier areas of the stadium, in between several mercenaries and a postman.

Within seconds, the duo catches attention, as the area surrounding them quiets. With everyone's eyes darting between the sign and them, Prince is confident they will find some willing players soon.

Did he say some?

He meant all.

In ten seconds flat, a stampede of people is charging at them, arms flung in the air.

"We'll support you, handsome!"

"I'll give you all the buffs you want, gorgeous!"

"Pick me!"

"No, me!"

Pale, Prince and Lolidragon drop their sign and hightail away from the overly eager crowd. Half of the players look like they are ready to devour them, the other half already drooling with giant heart-shaped eyes.

Wah, masks, Prince internally laments, they should have wore masks, how could he forget something so essential!

To Prince's woes, the chase persists across the city. He feels himself doused with layer after layer of magic, as female players endlessly shower him with spell after spell. Male players are busy bombarding Lolidragon with gifts, flooding her inventory with weapons and armors. To make matters worse, all the commotion is attracting the attention of pedestrians, who eagerly join in on the chase.

By afternoon, a rumor has spread that Star City is hosting some exclusive event, how the makers have sent two breathtaking celebrity models into the game. This further lures in players from nearby cities, curious if such indescribable beauty is for real. The consensus in the forums is that this is true; any player who has caught a glimpse of them, however passing or brief, will claim that their beauty does not disappoint - rather, it exceeds all expectations! Especially the white-haired player; he belongs in the myths and legends, right alongside the Four Most Handsome Men of China!

What began as a simple recruitment mission has dominoed into a three-day run for their lives - and virtue. On the third night, they have finally shaken off the last of their most persistent admirers. By then, both their stealth and evasion skills have risen five whole levels. Lolidragon, who is already high in both, even learned the Master Camouflage skill. Which means, she is now extremely proficient at throwing both of them inside dumpsters at the first sound of footsteps.

Such is the curse of good looks, Prince internally weeps amidst banana peels and mushu pork. He should be fighting monsters and fulfilling grand quests; but alas, he spends his time running away from women and even some men. He collapses back into the heaps of garbage, staring out at the night sky above. It is just him; Lolidragon called quits a while back and logged off. She recommended he do the same, at least until people have cooled down.

"Prince?"

Prince jolts. His heart quickens, in fear that someone has found his hiding spot. Only after a moment does he realize the voice is through a PM line. The voice is also a familiar one; it belongs to his good sister Rose!

"Hey Rose, what's up?" he says, mood uplifted.

"Oh, thank god you're still on! Please, we need your help, th-!"

Alarmed, Prince bolts upright. "Rose? Rose?! You there?"

"-can't fend-" Her line breaks again. "-cast a Glyph of Paralysis now, hurry!"

The distress in her voice is raw. Prince deduces they must be in the middle of combat, a really bad one too, if Rose is mixing up her PM lines.

For long painful seconds, he waits for Rose to reconnect. When she does, it is only an urgent, pleading, "Please Prince, we need help, I-"

"I'm here," Prince blurts out. "Just tell me what to do, tell me-!"

"I'm casting it now!"

"Casting wha-"

In a burst of white magic, Prince watches the garbage around him disappear, the surface beneath him fall. One blink later, he has landed on solid ground, a dry landscape with wisping dust. In one direction, Rose is running to him. In the other...

His eyes narrow. In a flash, Hēi Dāo is at his command. One swivel, and the raging monster behind him is brutally slashed in three places, before a final backwards leap. Prince slams the full weight of his weapon into its neck. Blood splatter across his face and body, but his expression remains focused and calm. With skill, he evades the dive of two other dragons.

Rose watches in awe as his fight escalates to the skies, every leap and and slice until the sky is raining blood and corpses slam into the ground left and right. The rest of Rose's team has stopped too, attacks and spells forgotten, to watch the massacre before them. The admiration and worship is evident in their eyes. Without a doubt, this is the Blood Elf they met back then.

When it is done, the swarm of monsters has been reduced to a field of carcasses and glittering gold. And the person responsible is standing in the middle of it all, clearing blood-soaked bangs out of his eyes.

With a dark smirk, he eyes Rose.

"You summoned me?"

.


End file.
